Showing posts with label Ice Cube. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ice Cube. Show all posts

Wednesday 2 January 2019

Ice Cube "Everythang's Corrupt" (2018)


Its been a long time awaiting. Legendary rapper Ice Cube of N.W.A is back after a six year delay since the release of the albums lead single and title track. I'm unaware of what took so long to finish the project but to be fair, I wasn't anticipating much. Its decades since the West Coast rapper's hay day but approaching fifty years of age Cube can still deliver tight rhymes with his strong persona on the mic. Between a fair amount of braggadocio he gets into the state of affairs, addressing the American president, the latest statures of political correctness and events like Charlottesville.

Everythang's Corrupt is topical and current, Cube can deliver coherent verses, reasonable hooks and choruses over a distinct production style marked by electronic bursts resembling trumpets and horns that form the key melodies and tunes. A fair amount of Trap drum aesthetics and patterns creep into the percussive construct. Lots of synthetic instruments bring textural tones for the looping melodies that make its crispy clean production sounds sterile at times. Through the sixteen songs everyone is bound to find a selection of preferred cuts however Ain't Got No Haters and That New Funkadelic stand out as a break from the norm with Cube's classic laid back G-Funk vibes being resurrecting for shadows of his best work like Today Was A Good Day.

There is a lot to digest lyrically. Fifty five minutes of verses all of which are pretty coherent to follow dive into various topics and Cube's prominence on the microphone makes for no weak links however he resides firmly in the realm of expectation and thus not to many rhymes schemes leap out at you. He does try out a couple of slower paced, short line flows but not to much effect. Essentially this is a very established rhyme style however the last couple of tracks end on a high. The title track has an amazing energy thanks to the electric instrumental and it rolls into Good Cop Bad Cop which has Cube flowing with a little spice and passion in his voice that hails back to the immediacy of his youth, Its got some of the records best rhymes on it.

This record might be written off by some as an old timer coming back with a routine record for fans but I think Ice Cube's skill as an MC holds up. The instrumentals are infectious with repetition and perhaps some curation condensing this record to its best would of made for a tighter listening experience as their is plenty to enjoy here. Ive liked it more with every listen and I think I will continue to enjoy it until that steam runs out. When trying to hold together some objectivity listening I find that Cube has such an amazing persona on the mic that I always feel lured into whats going on.

Favorite Tracks: Chase Down The Bully, Ain't Got No Haters, That New Funkadelic, One For The Money, Everythangs Corrupt, Good Cop Bad Cop
Rating: 6/10

Wednesday 17 December 2014

Ice Cube "Amerikkka's Most Wanted" (1990)


American rapper Ice Cube may have a different reputation in this generation, but back in the 90s he was one of Hip Hops finest. He made an explosive debut with N.W.A. on "Straight Outta Compton", an all round classic that set the group on a course for world domination. Cube made a sudden departure from the group in 89 following disputes over his contributions the the lyrical contributions on N.W.A. and Eazy-E's albums. He was the groups most talented rapper and walking away from something as prolific as N.W.A. was a bold move. In retrospect it has served him well. "Amerikkka's Most Wanted" is Cubes solo debut and one of the first rap albums I got my hands on. As a kid I loved this record and having picked it up for the first time in years I was blown away by the lyrical and instrumental content of this record. Its still angry, violent and explosive, and more so feels relevant following the racial unrest in America in response to police brutality. "How the fuck do you figure, that I can say peace and the gunshots will cease? Every cop killer goes ignored, they just send another nigga to the morgue". Not only relevant, but a sad reminder this has been going on for decades.

Cube has it all, voice, flow, lyrics and inspiration. We find him here at his peak, delivering a record fueled by anger and frustration towards racism, police brutality and social injustice, as well as aiming some raps at radio stations and telling stories of life in the wrong neighborhoods. His flow is sublime, a fast yet sturdy pace delivering fueled raps with an audible grace, every word is crisp and easy to follow. The content is even stronger, Cubes story telling is engaging, passionate and structured. Every track keeps you locked in to the stories which unfold steadily. Theres a lack a filler, Cube keeps banging out the rhymes from start to end with many tracks ending with a sudden feeling as Cubes intensity fails to dwindle before the end of the verse. His engaging and charismatic style is genuine, one of the most talented to grace the mic.

Lyrically this record is extremely progressive in the context of a rappers freedom to express oneself. Its no surprise coming from the group who drew FBI's interest with the classic "Fuck The Police" that Cube would kick up the heat with violent and aggressive raps, flirting with sexist and racist themes that would make this record a focus for controversy and censorship, ultimately paving the way for more expressive freedom in the future of Hip Hop. For all thats ruthless or vulgar depending on your perspective, it comes in a relevant and necessary context as Cube raps stories about crack dens, drive byes and a girl from the projects who claims to bare his unborn child. Cubes dynamic story telling here is stark and unforgiving, telling everything how he sees it, not dressing it up for record sales or commercial success, which this record ironically became a huge success at the time. 

Cube's known as a west coast rapper, but on this record we have production from the legendary Bomb Squad who work with Public Enemy. Their contribution is monumental, providing the backing for Cube that makes this record a classic. Their beats are energetic and layered, bringing that unpredictable and dizzying sound, but packaging it up with a flavor that really differentiates the style from their work with Public Enemy. These beats have got bounce, groove, and best of all they are crafted and catered to Cubes input, following his lead and providing plenty of breaks and variants to keep these songs vibrant as Cubes mesmerizing raps suck you along the course of these instrumentals. Its a fantastic chemistry, one we will never hear again, and for all the positives I've talked about, it has to be said the second half of this album is a grade behind the opening 8 tracks, after the comedic track "A Gangsta's Fairytale" the albums sound and tempo varies as production from Sir Jinx doesn't follow the energy laid down by The Bomb Squad, the track "Who's The Mack" even sounds like a prelude to Ice Cubes later releases. Blinding album, the first half of which is pure classic.

Favorite Tracks: First half of album.
Rating: 9/10